Land Movement Update

October 1 City Council Meeting

At the October 1 City Council meeting, the City’s geologist will present the latest land movement data in the Portuguese Bend Landslide complex. Since August, the overall average rate of movement has decelerated 13% to 8 inches per week, with a range of 1% acceleration to 27% deceleration, depending on the area.

The Council will discuss various efforts to continue slowing the movement and prepare for the next rainy season. This includes the recent activation of five deep vertical dewatering wells at the toe of the Portuguese Bend Landslide that are removing about 600 gallons of water per minute to relieve water pressure that is fueling the sliding. Preliminary data shows movement has slowed down at a greater rate in the area since the wells were activated.

The City Council will consider how to allocate $5 million in landslide relief funding recently received from the office of Los Angeles County Supervisor Hahn. City staff is proposing providing $10,000 in individual financial assistance to property owners of residences impacted by the landslide in the Portuguese Bend Community Association, including Vanderlip Drive, Seaview and the Portuguese Bend Beach Club. The remaining funds could be used for the City’s landslide response and stabilization efforts.

The Council will also consider the extending the local emergency declarations in the landslide area that were put in place to bolster the City’s response to the land movement and utility shutoffs. Both declarations must be extended every 60 days to remain in effect.

A staff report (PDF) with more information is available on the City website.

Meeting Info

The meeting will take place on October 1 at 7 p.m. in McTaggart Hall at Hesse Park and via Zoom. Watch live at rpvca.gov or on Cox 33/FiOS 38. To participate in public comment during the meeting, fill out a speaker slip if you are attending in person, or complete a form online at rpvca.gov/participate to participate virtually or leave a pre-recorded voice message. Email your comments on this topic to cc@rpvca.gov.

If you are a person with a disability and need an accommodation to participate in programs, services, activities and meetings, contact the City's ADA Coordinator/Risk Manager at 424-327-3982, adarequests@rpvca.gov, 30940 Hawthorne Blvd., Rancho Palos Verdes, CA 90275, at least 48 hours in advance to request an auxiliary aid or accommodation.

SCE State of Emergency Update

Governor Gavin Newsom’s recent state of emergency in Rancho Palos Verdes provides certain customer protections to residents impacted by land movement for the period of August 29, 2024, through September 3, 2025. As such, Southern California Edison (SCE) is providing emergency customer protections intended to help navigate through the challenges from this natural disaster. Customers may be eligible to receive support from SCE in a variety of ways including:

• If SCE has determined that electricity can be safely provided to a resident’s relevant account or newly established account within SCE’s service area, SCE will waive deposit requirements and expedite move-in and move-out service requests for residents who seek to re-establish service;
• If SCE has determined that electricity can be safely provided to a relevant account, SCE will suspend disconnection and associated fees for non-safety related reasons, such as for nonpayment, and will waive deposits and late fees; SCE will not bill for the time period of de-energization;
• For low-income customers, SCE will suspend CARE and FERA recertification and verification requirements through September 3, 2025; and for homes that are re-energized, SCE will provide Energy Savings Assistance (ESA) assessments for energy-efficient measures and services, upon request.

Additionally, affected customers may qualify for one of their payment plans to help ease the financial impacts resulting from the disaster event. You can explore payment arrangement options using SCE’s automated phone system, or online through My Account.

Should there be questions, SCE has a dedicated Customer Support Team to help customers impacted by this disaster. Please call SCE at 1-800-250-7339 Monday through Friday (7 a.m.-7 p.m.), and Saturdays (8 a.m.-5 p.m.) for the most up-to-date information on the situation.

Residents can learn more about ongoing changes due to land movement and view useful tips and links to customer programs and support services at its dedicated website: sce.com/rpv

Federal and State Agencies Tour Landslide Area

On September 26, representatives from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Region 9, the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) and State Geologist Jeremy Lancaster visited Rancho Palos Verdes to tour the landslide area. The group got an up-close look at the destruction caused by accelerated land movement and met with City staff, the Abalone Cove Landslide Abatement District, and the Klondike Canyon Landslide Abatement District to discuss how they can provide technical assistance to each agency in their efforts to slow the movement. Representatives from the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) are scheduled to tour the landslide area in early October.

Rotary Club Land Movement Relief Fund Online Donation Link Now Available

An online donation link is now available for the Rotary Club's relief fund for Rancho Palos Verdes and Rolling Hills residents who have been affected by land movement. The link is available by scanning the QR code below or by visiting: ow.ly/Ph4450Tsc1P

Check donations can be made to "The Palos Verdes Peninsula Rotary Foundation." Please add in the memo line:   Portuguese Bend Landslide Relief Fund and your email address on the checks and mail them to PVP Rotary Foundation, 904 Silver Spur Road, Box 270, Rolling Hills Estates, CA 90274.

L.A. County Assessor Tax Relief Resources

If your home has suffered damage or you believe your property value warrants review due to land movement, the L.A. County Assessor’s Office has resources. The Disaster Relief and Decline-in-Value programs provide property tax relief in the event of physical damage and economic loss of value. Learn more about these programs on the City’s Land Movement webpage.

Questions?

If you have questions, please email the City at landmovement@rpvca.gov.   

Media Inquiries

If you have a media inquiry related to land movement in the City of Rancho Palos Verdes, please contact the City’s communications partner, Tripepi Smith, with your questions at RPVMedia@TripepiSmith.com. They will also add you to our media list so you receive our listserv updates, press releases and media advisories.